, still more dissatisfied, then
directed her servant "to take a cab immediately and fetch her son."
Coyne then went a third time and found "Sir Roger" with his attorney
and his casual acquaintance sitting at breakfast, but was again
unsuccessful. Lady Tichborne that afternoon went herself to the hotel,
and was then permitted to see her son in a darkened chamber, and in
the presence of his attorney and friend. "Sir Roger," said Coyne, who
tells the story, "was lying on the bed with his back turned to us and
his face to the wall," and he added that while he was in that
position, his mistress leaned over and kissed Sir Roger on the mouth,
observing at the same time that "he looked like his father, though his
ears were like his uncle's." Then "Sir Roger" having remarked that he
was "nearly stifled," Lady Tichborne directed Coyne to "take off her
son's coat and undo his braces;" which duties the faithful domestic
accomplished with some difficulty, while at the same time he "managed
to pull him over as well as he could." Upon this Mr. Holmes, solemnly
standing up, addressed John Coyne in the words: "You are a witness
that Lady Tichborne recognises her son," and John Coyne having
replied, "And so are you," the ceremony of recognition was complete.

Soon after this it was rumoured in the neighbourhood of Alresford,
that the Dowager Lady Tichborne had acknowledged the stranger as her
lost son Roger; that she had determined to allow the repentant
wanderer L1000 a year; and that he was going to take a house at
Croydon pending his entering into the possession of the Tichborne
estates. There happened then to be living in Alresford a gentleman
named Hopkins. He had been solicitor to the Tichborne family, but they
had long ceased to employ him. He had also been a trustee of the
Doughty estates, but had been compelled to resign that position, at
which he had expressed much chagrin. Hopkins had an acquaintance named
Baignet at Winchester, an eccentric person of an inquisitive turn.
Both these began at this time to busy themselves greatly in the
matter of the Tichborne Claimant, who, on his next visit to Alresford,
was accordingly invited to stay at Mr. Hopkins's house. From that time
Mr. Hopkins and Mr. Baignet became active partisans of the Claimant's
cause. Hopkins had not been the solicitor of Roger Tichborne, but he
had seen him occasionally from fifteen to twenty years previously; and
he made an affidavit, that "though he could not